Networked computing environments continue to grow in terms of both the number and type of computing components, as well as the complexity of component arrangements in the computing environments. Some such computing environments offer virtualized computing services decoupled to various degrees from the underlying computing hardware that ultimately implement the computing services. There are various advantages to such virtualization for both users and providers of virtualized computing services. For example, virtualized computing service users may quickly (e.g., on the order of minutes or seconds) add virtual computing resources in response to increased demand and, just as quickly, release the virtual computing resources for other purposes if demand falls. Such flexibility for users of virtualized computing services can entail both challenges and opportunities for providers of virtualized computing services.
A virtualized file system volume is an example of a virtualized computing service. Users of virtualized file system volumes (“virtual volumes”) may create, delete, resize and otherwise reconfigure virtual volumes without concern for the details of how underlying computing resources are allocated. However, virtual volumes may be associated with a set of performance expectations, such as relatively low read/write latency and/or relatively high data throughput that can constrain the allocation of the underlying computing resources and may be associated with various costs including financial costs. Some providers of virtualized computing services offer multiple types of virtualized data storage, for example, each associated with a different set of performance expectations and/or costs. Where multiple types of virtualized data storage are available, users typically move data between the different types of virtualized data storage on a manual and/or ad hoc basis. This can be problematic.
Unmanaged movement of data between different types of virtualized data storage can be suboptimal from the perspectives of both the user and provider of virtualized computing services. For example, unmanaged data movement may be incur more costs than necessary to achieve the same and/or similar goals. Such costs may include financial costs and/or computing resource costs. Unmanaged data movement may exacerbate peak demands on computing resources that support virtualized computing services.
Same numbers are used throughout the disclosure and figures to reference like components and features, but such repetition of number is for purposes of simplicity of explanation and understanding, and should not be viewed as a limitation on the various embodiments.